2010 marks the start of a new decade as well as the growing shift in consumer usage of traditional broadcast mediums in favor for or along with new media outlets via the Internet through broadband devices such as computers and mobile smart phones. According to Internetworldstats.com, Internet usage within the United States has grown from 44.1% of the population in 2000 to 74.1% in 2009 representing a 30% increase in 9 years. This growth has pushed the Internet and the accompanying Web to the forefront of where people get their information and media for entertainment. Still according to the A.C. Nielsen Co., 99% of Americans own a television in their homes and according to reports from Arbitron, a radio ratings firm, 91% of Americans still tune into radio at least once a week. This still shows that a majority of Americans use traditional broadcast mediums to get their information and media. This shift from traditional broadcasting mediums to the Internet/web as well as broadband ubiquity through mobile devices will continue through the next decade and will put more pressure on the Government to implement regulations on the Internet and Web. Also the innovation of traditional media devices that allow access to the Web through the Internet will put more pressure on regulators to re-evaluate old laws and implement new ones that are in accordance with the morals of the nation as a whole and other related issues like copyright and obscenity.
The increase in the worldwide trade of counterfeit goods and pirated copyrighted works both physically and digitally has crippled revenues throughout all economies of the world especially each counties respective media industry. It is because of this that The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement has come to fruition. The agreement which was first introduced by the US Administration in 2007, has just completed its 7th round of negotiations in Mexico. These negotiations have been behind closed doors and the most recent round of negotiations will bring the ACTA closer to concluding the final agreement. The final agreement will likely be the basis of future national laws for the countries involved. Since ACTA’s inception by the United States other countries have become involved like the European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand and Singapore.
Only online leaks that have appeared in websites like the WikiLeaks website have given the only look into what is really happening behind closed doors between the countries. In the Winter 2010 issue of The New Economy Paul Marks writes,” the Wikileaks website reveal that it will require some ISP’s to be technological sleuths who monitor their customers’ internet use to “deter unauthorized storage and transmission of infringing content.” Infringer’s will face a “graduated response” as the ultimate sanction.”
Already the ACTA bill has influenced the UK’s Digital Economy Bill. Paul Marks explains that the bill if passed will make ISP’s warn consumers twice about sharing copy write infringed content then the user will face “technical measures”. These measures include slowing or cutting off downloads of infringed material.There has been a lot of controversy about the ACTA and how it will affect the future control and enforcement of Internet as well as invasion of privacy of customers and costs to ISP’s.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but after two decades of the unfettered use of the Internet and the Web along with minority Internet usage among Americans til recently, regulation seems inevitable in this new decade.